Toolbox: High-Tech Sanding Block

Most woodworkers have strong opinions
about hand sanding. For
some, it's an essential finishing touch for
top-quality work; for others, it's a necessary
evil. Whether you love it or hate it,
hand sanding is sometimes the only way
to break edges, clean up details, or prep
for finishes. Surprisingly, though, few
carpenters keep a good sanding block
handy. The $5 rubber blocks you can get
at the lumberyard don't work much better
than wrapping some sandpaper
around a scrap of wood. Neither holds
the sandpaper very well, the rubber is too
soft for crisp edges or flattening work,
and the wood is too hard for rounding
edges. And if you need to get into a profile
or